The importance to understand how we learn

Have you understood that now?
Then do it like this from now on!

About the role of learning in coaching

 

Coaching is a process of change, the development of growth – in other words, a learning process. Therefore, people who work as coaches should know a lot about how systems, organisms and people learn.

The example from the headline represents a popular theory. „I explain and show you, you understand, and now you can and do it this way.“

I had to learn how to calculate according to this theory at school. Nobody was interested in the fact that I need the motivation to learn, I need to really want to learn, and I need an understanding of quantities and numbers and mathematical operations before I can calculate. All that mattered was: „This is how it’s done! – Do it!“ What I learned that way were only calculation tools.

I can also experience this in ourselves. For example, „I have experienced and understood that less chocolate benefits my health.“ However, knowledge and understanding very rarely lead to a change in behaviour. What is much more interesting is what goal I want to achieve by limiting my chocolate consumption and why I want to do it. Are there other ways to accomplish the same purpose?

In a coaching education, the penetration of the knowledge of our time on learning processes is essential in two ways.

Firstly, in terms of the development process of the coach him/herself.

Secondly, it is about the effect on the learning process of the coachee.

For both learning processes, it is helpful to know some of the learning theories of the early behaviourists. In addition, results on learning curves and learning speed are also beneficial.

One should know how facts and associated emotions relate to each other in the brain. And it would help if you understood what it means that neuropsychic schemata are materially stored in our brains.

Especially the last point explains to me why I so easily fall into long-forgotten behaviours when I feel insecure.